Surgical correction of the positioning and alignment of one or more vertebrae in the spinal column can be desired to address various pathologies and conditions of patients. However, such repositioning and re-alignment can be time-consuming, cumbersome, and potentially difficult to achieve during a surgical procedure. For example, the alignment of multiple vertebral levels can require manipulation of instrumentation at each level to achieve the desired results. Forces applied to the vertebral body need to be controlled to minimize stresses on the vertebral bodies and implants. Furthermore, the alignment at one level may need to be maintained while other levels are aligned. In addition, the instrumentation employed to achieve the alignment can hinder placement of stabilization constructs that post-operatively maintain the corrected positioning and alignment achieved during surgery.
Existing vertebral column manipulation systems include many components and can be fiddlesome for the surgeon to use during the procedure. In addition, the systems are not employed or readily employed in minimally invasive surgical procedures, but rather involve open procedures that completely expose the affected segments of the spinal column. Therefore, instruments, methods and systems that facilitate surgical correction of the alignment and positioning of a vertebra or vertebrae of the spinal column would be desirable. Furthermore, instruments, methods and systems that facilitate placement of stabilization constructs that post-operatively maintain the corrected vertebra or vertebrae are also desirable. In addition, instruments, methods and systems that facilitate control of the stress exerted on implants and vertebrae to which the implants are attached would be desirable.